By Steve Hadfield, AgedCareActionPlan.au · Last updated: May 2026
Key facts at a glance
Once you have been assessed and approved for Support at Home, you are free to choose any approved provider in your area. My Aged Care does not assign you a provider — the choice is yours. Use the Find a Provider tool on My Aged Care to search by location, service type, and cultural preferences.
The search tool may return dozens of results. A practical approach is to create a shortlist of three to four providers and contact each one directly before you decide. Ask each provider the same questions and compare them on equal terms. The My Aged Care tool allows you to shortlist up to 16 providers and save your list for later. You can also call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask a staff member to help you identify providers in your area.
Under the Support at Home model, all of your services must be delivered through a single approved provider. This is called the single provider model. If you want services from a different organisation — a specific allied health service, for example — your primary provider arranges it on your behalf. You cannot split your budget across multiple providers independently.
There is one exception: if you choose to self-manage your Support at Home funding, you can engage third-party workers directly. Self-management is a separate arrangement — your provider still holds the service agreement, but you have more control over who delivers individual services. Read the self-management guide for how that works.
Not yet approved?
You need a Support at Home assessment before you can access government-funded services. Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to register, or read the assessment preparation guide first.
Most provider-comparison guides focus on the wrong things — website quality, brand recognition, office location. None of those predict whether the person who shows up at the door will be reliable, respectful, and consistent.
The four things that reliably matter:
Carer consistency
A rotating roster of different carers is one of the most common complaints in aged care. Ask any provider directly: what is your carer-matching process, and what happens when my regular carer is unavailable? A provider who can answer this specifically — with a named backup process — is more credible than one who gives a general assurance. Low staff turnover is a proxy for a well-run organisation.
Transparent pricing before you sign
Your provider sets its own prices for services. Under Support at Home, providers cannot charge administration fees, entry fees, or exit fees — but the hourly rate for each service type varies between organisations. Ask for a written schedule of service prices before signing anything. If a provider is reluctant to provide this upfront, that is a warning sign.
A responsive complaint process
Every approved provider is required to have a formal complaints process. Ask them to describe it. How do you make a complaint? Who receives it? What is the expected response time? A provider who can answer this clearly has thought about it. One who deflects or gives a vague answer about "open communication" hasn't.
Coverage of the services you actually need
Providers are not required to offer every service type. Some focus on personal care and domestic assistance; others have stronger allied health or nursing capabilities. Match the provider's service list to your support plan — not the other way around. If your plan includes occupational therapy or continence nursing and the provider doesn't deliver it directly, ask specifically how they arrange it.
For a complete list of questions to ask any provider before you sign, see the six questions to ask a home care provider.
If you or the person you are supporting speaks a language other than English, or has strong cultural preferences for how care is delivered, this is a legitimate factor in choosing a provider. Many approved providers specialise in culturally specific care — including services tailored to Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, and many other communities. The My Aged Care Find a Provider tool lets you filter by language spoken and cultural background.
When you contact a provider, ask directly: do you have carers who speak [language]? Can you match us with a carer who understands our cultural customs around food, personal care, or family involvement? If interpreter support is needed when dealing with My Aged Care or a provider, the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) is available on 131 450 — free for Medicare cardholders.
Only approved providers can deliver government-funded Support at Home services. Approved status means the provider has met the Australian Government's registration requirements and is subject to ongoing regulation by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC).
Before you sign a service agreement with any provider, check two things:
The ACQSC register shows each provider's registration status and any compliance actions taken against them. A provider with a recent non-compliance notice is not automatically disqualified — what matters is whether the issue has been resolved and how the provider has responded. But the information should inform your questions, not be ignored.
The ACQSC also publishes Star Ratings for providers, which give a summary view of compliance history and resident or consumer experience survey results. These are most detailed for residential care, but home care providers are also rated. The ratings are a starting point, not a definitive verdict — they reflect the past, not your future experience.
Under Support at Home, your provider can charge a care management fee for coordinating your services, managing your support plan, and liaising with other care professionals. This fee is drawn from your quarterly budget.
The care management fee is capped at 10% of your quarterly budget. A provider cannot charge more than this, regardless of how they describe or label the fee.
What providers cannot charge under Support at Home
Under the old Home Care Package system, package management was charged as a separate fee — capped at 15% of the package level from January 2023, with some providers having charged higher amounts before that cap was introduced. Under Support at Home, this fee structure no longer exists. If you transitioned from a Home Care Package and your provider is still describing charges in terms that look like the old model, ask them to explain specifically which fees now apply under the Support at Home rules.
Not all providers charge the full 10%. Some charge less. The care management fee is one of the most practical points to compare when you are considering multiple providers, because it directly reduces the budget available for actual services. A provider charging 8% leaves you with more funding for care hours than one charging 10% — on a Classification 4 budget of approximately $29,700 per year, that 2% difference is roughly $594 in additional care annually.
Before services begin, you and your provider must sign a service agreement. This is a legal document. Read it before you sign — and if anything is unclear, ask the provider to explain it in plain language.
Your service agreement must include:
Two things to look for before signing:
⚑ Watch for: Vague service descriptions
Service descriptions should be specific enough to hold a provider accountable. A red flag is an agreement that says only "personal care as required." What you want instead is precise language: "Showering assistance, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 60 minutes per session, between 8am and 10am." If the agreement uses vague language, ask the provider to rewrite it before you sign — vague agreements protect the provider, not you.
⚑ Watch for: Long notice periods for ending the agreement
You have the right to change providers at any time under Support at Home. If a service agreement includes a long lock-in period or financial penalty for leaving, ask the provider to explain the basis for it. Your right to leave should not be constrained by unreasonable exit terms.
Problems with aged care providers are more common than they should be. Services arriving late, carers being swapped without notice, charges that don't match what was agreed — these are the most frequent complaints.
You have three escalation paths, in order:
Raise it directly with your provider
Most issues can be resolved at provider level. Contact your care coordinator in writing (email creates a record) and describe the specific problem with specific dates. Give the provider a reasonable timeframe to respond — 5 to 7 business days is reasonable for non-urgent issues.
Escalate to the ACQSC if the provider doesn't resolve it
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission handles complaints about approved providers. You can complain online at agedcarequality.gov.au or by phone on 1800 951 822. Complaints can be made anonymously or confidentially. The service is free.
Switch providers
You can change providers at any time under Support at Home. You do not need a reason. Contact your current provider to give notice as per your service agreement, then contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or use the Find a Provider tool to choose your new provider. Your funding follows you — it does not stay with your current provider. In practice, a transition takes a few weeks: your new provider needs to assess your needs and set up a service agreement before services begin. To avoid a gap, start the process with your new provider before your notice period with the old one expires. If you need help navigating the switch, the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) offers free, independent support — call 1800 700 600.
Free independent support — OPAN
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) provides free, independent advocacy for people receiving aged care. They can help you understand your rights, prepare a complaint, navigate a provider switch, or attend meetings with providers on your behalf. Call 1800 700 600 or visit opan.org.au.
For a step-by-step guide to escalating complaints and knowing when to push harder, see the escalation ladder guide.
Can I use more than one provider for different services?
Under the single provider model, all of your Support at Home services must be delivered through one approved provider. That provider can engage third parties to deliver some services on your behalf, but you cannot independently split your budget across multiple providers. If you choose to self-manage your funding, you have more flexibility in which workers you engage — ask your provider about self-management options.
How do I find approved providers in my area?
Use the Find a Provider tool on My Aged Care (myagedcare.gov.au/find-a-provider). You can filter by location, service type, cultural and language preferences, and program. You can shortlist up to 16 providers to compare. You can also call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for help finding providers in your area.
What is the care management fee and what should I be paying?
The care management fee covers your provider's cost of coordinating your services, managing your support plan, and liaising with other health professionals. It is drawn from your quarterly Support at Home budget. The fee is capped at 10% of your quarterly budget — your provider cannot charge more than this. Not all providers charge the maximum. Ask any provider you are considering what their care management fee is before signing.
My provider keeps sending different carers. What can I do?
Carer consistency is a legitimate expectation and a recognised quality issue. Raise it directly with your care coordinator in writing, referring to any specific incidents. If your service agreement specifies carer consistency or a named carer, the provider has a formal obligation to address deviations from it. If the issue is not resolved, you can complain to the ACQSC on 1800 951 822 or consider switching to a provider with better carer-matching practices.
Can I switch providers whenever I want?
Yes. Under Support at Home you can change providers at any time. Your funding follows you — it does not stay with your current provider. Check your service agreement for the required notice period. Once you have given notice, contact My Aged Care to arrange a new provider. There should be no financial penalty for leaving a provider.
My provider is charging fees that seem higher than expected. What should I check?
Ask your provider for a written breakdown of every fee and how it is calculated. Under Support at Home, providers cannot charge separate administration fees, entry fees, or exit fees. The care management fee cannot exceed 10% of your quarterly budget. If you believe a charge is not permitted, raise it with the provider in writing first. If unresolved, contact the ACQSC on 1800 951 822.
How do I make a complaint about my provider?
Start with your provider's internal complaints process — every approved provider is required to have one. If the complaint is not resolved satisfactorily, contact the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission at agedcarequality.gov.au or by calling 1800 951 822. Complaints are free, can be made confidentially or anonymously, and can be made by family members on your behalf.
What happens if my provider closes or stops operating in my area?
If your provider ceases to operate, your Support at Home funding is not lost. My Aged Care will notify you and help you arrange a new provider. Your quarterly budget continues, and you have the right to choose your new provider. In the short term, My Aged Care may arrange interim services to ensure continuity of care while you select a replacement. If you are concerned about your provider's stability, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 for guidance.
I was on a Home Care Package. How is the provider relationship different under Support at Home?
Under Home Care Packages, providers charged a separate package management fee — capped at 15% of the package level from January 2023, with some providers having charged higher amounts before that cap was introduced. Under Support at Home, this fee structure no longer exists. The care management fee is capped at 10%. Your overall funding is also structured differently — as a quarterly budget across service categories rather than a single annual package amount. If you transitioned from a Home Care Package, confirm with your provider exactly which fees now apply under the new arrangements.
Six questions to ask any home care provider before you sign
A practical checklist for evaluating providers — covering fees, carer matching, complaint handling, and service flexibility.
The aged care escalation ladder: how to push back when things go wrong
Step-by-step guidance on raising problems — from provider level to ACQSC complaints and beyond.
Self-managing your Support at Home funding
How self-management works, who it suits, and how to take more direct control over who delivers your services.
Support at Home classifications: what each level means in hours of care
How the eight classification levels translate to real services and weekly hours.
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Start Navigator — $29/month →This guide is for information only — not legal, medical, or financial advice. Verified against the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025. Check myagedcare.gov.au for current rates and rules.